Friday, April 11

Kevin Calabro: World's Greatest Human

It's no secret that we at Supersonicsoul are huge Kevin Calabro fans, but this announcement makes me fall in love with KC all over again:

If the Sonics move to Oklahoma City next season, then longtime play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro will be calling his final game tonight.

"I agonized over this for a few days, whether or not to say anything, but the fans have been so great to me and my family over 21 years and just to suddenly not show up for the final game on Sunday and disappear from the scene didn't seem quite right," Calabro said during a telephone interview from San Antonio. "That's not the way I wanted to go out."

I'm old enough to remember Bob Blackburn, and how everyone thought no one would ever be able to replace the original voice of the Sonics. Then, along came KC. It was probably like being a Pat Boone fan in the 50's, and then you discovered Little Richard. Calabro was funny, intelligent and hip--not things you'd normally associate with sportscasters in the mid 1980's. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of basketball, but never let it get in the way of entertaining his listeners. When Kemp and Payton arrived in the 90's, KC was the perfect voice for the high-flying Supersonics.

I know for a fact, Calabro had opportunities to make more money elsewhere, but his loyalty to his family, the community and the Sonics kept him here when most people would have left. It's too bad Howard Schultz didn't share these traits.

Amen and hallelujah! KC is everything which is good for the Sonics. Mr. Calabro, my best wishes to you and your family, in the hopes that you will be calling games from KeyArena for many years to come.